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464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTzQFYQqpB
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWOTO54xNd
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlS9uKcwAZH
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzKQU0kswn
等到我對這座花園的地形瞭若指掌後，我向王子殿下的貼身女侍——吉莎小姐——借了鏟子和其他工具，並且向她表示我想重整花園的意願。她一言不發就同意我的請求，甚至還派了幾名侍女協助我進行翻土作業。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79Wv3JJmwA
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohLjA19suD
雖然吉莎小姐講話的口吻總是冷冰冰的，還時常對身旁的人或事物做出尖酸刻薄的評論，但我卻能在許多小地方感覺得到她的細心，就像她替我們準備餐點時所展現出的專注和洞察力一樣。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqrdHaJM2vX
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5gRI32Kghf
某天早上，殿下起床後正好去外頭做野獸人宗教的晨間禮拜，而我則一個人待在房間內對至尊陛下做晨禱。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElyi9YkJdR
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3rVyu6VwA
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrV2cIVAgm
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkMG9yJbbL7
框啷！464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs13jFaRgzp
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSZYXks3qA
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡccqlylQN26
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHbiPsYh0G
框啷！464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBF5orYrtwS
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9UXhhHnTl
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OKLb0zX3Z
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6QibKkGmN
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUAAameg2E
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPSindA3gj
據說吉莎的腰上系著一條皮製腰帶，腰上還掛著兩只小陶杯以及一個銅製壺器，裡頭總是裝著殿下愛喝的飲料。每當她走動一步，掛在腰間上的陶杯就隨之震動，發出叮叮噹噹的清脆聲響。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6kfgPoOmOL
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdeg0GfaAGc
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOedqSqV3d
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVpPDMPHQyy
吉莎缺乏抑揚頓挫的嗓音自我面前響起，隨即傳來的則是陶碗與陶盤擺在地面時發出的清脆聲響。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYA78fuQd8T
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwW0s6QcVde
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2KmBxm4zE7
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡei6y8170Qg
「喔，這又跟人類的宗教有關了？聽說叫做暴食罪啥的......除了病人或勞動階級之外，普通人不應該吃早餐。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfE4sSM3CnP
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7D8pfOcGMj
「妳言重了。我們修女在隱修院內時常得做體力活，所以起床晨禱後會吃點東西果腹。出於宗教因素而禁用早餐一事其實是誤傳，最近也越來越多人習慣在早上吃東西了。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfxaNZofaX
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BIKhACor6
「可是奧絲雅閣下一開始很反對吃早餐，當初是我和殿下好說歹說她才接受的。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNV29lPzIDI
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJvWdCBznB
「她原本就是一名貴族，而且還是來自非常傳統保守的貴族家庭，因此不吃早餐相當符合她的身分地位。」我向吉莎解釋：「但您這裡提供的恐怕皆是宮廷料理，我身為至修女不該食用那麼精緻奢華的食物。我吃我自己帶來的麵包就好。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREQB99nEkY
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VGLy5Kae4
「請放心，我特別為海倫娜閣下準備了符合您原本『身分地位』的食物。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKo9sh4jAf
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxxvCCFBbB
「咦？這話的意思是——」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZU1bIZpOC
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9dS0goQSY
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0TKiN5yCz
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZ7bAl2SOJ
我伸出手，摸到一種薄如聖體餅的扁形麵包，放進嘴裡咀嚼時平淡無味，適度軟嫩的餅皮卻不會乾硬得難以下嚥。吉莎還同時準備了添加奶酪和酸奶飲料，替這道菜增添一點風味。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4qCpcG1ba
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYGqCjZrsc
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjQ9DSJzAS
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBiU1du08gx
「非常美味。」我誠實以對，「這餅的味道樸素得宛如黑麥麵包，卻又帶有一股異國風情。我從未吃過這種東西。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5plv11iWLi
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYd8Qjo4ThO
「這是獸族常吃的一種家常餅，通常他們會佐以肉湯汁、鷹嘴豆泥或芝麻醬等配料搭配著吃。獨自食用的話它的口感稍嫌單調，不過正好符合您的需求。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09UKSOgupQ
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwunkzJoCT
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMJeH1XeQ2
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfNOSfuUK8T
「我當然也會準備您過去在修道院吃的麵包或蔬果，午餐或晚餐則提供清淡的白米粥或肉粥配青菜沙拉。但我勸您最好開始習慣獸族的飲食習慣，畢竟您現在有一半的身分是殿下的母獅。請您別忘記這一點。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQEqassKtN
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLujaMCpyT
「我知道了，謝謝妳這麼費心。」我深深地點頭致意，說：「想必王子殿下待人時展現出來的細心之舉，鐵定是從吉莎小姐那耳濡目染學來的。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNd8VHgHrU
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOkjWU50vh
「哼，如果您這麼當面稱讚王子殿下，那孩子會得意忘形起來，尾巴啪噠啪噠地甩來甩去。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNz9w6HTRSa
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuoaB7UEnZh
嗯？我記得奧絲雅也說過同樣的話。我暗暗心想著，獅子尾巴有那麼惹人注目嗎？真讓人好奇。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3Q77heNrF
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUz8VoPlwmH
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZB8taGfD5
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2UFHd6PAc
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBz27CJ4O8
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLuyN9DOfwG
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6J81Zj08Nr
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8H5toeB0n
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWeG28NIoz
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcoyX1YcnL
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50z0kkCuvt
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbORK3riKo
「這麼問或許有些唐突——」我猶豫了幾秒，接著才開口問道：「您有什麼希望得到或期望的事物嗎？」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVlzVrkQU8
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jUqi2iEO8
「假如殿下順利成為獸族帝國的皇帝，我就感到謝天謝地了。」她立刻回答我。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpVw4KXWrlQ
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCVCHAq4Ff
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVoQdTGAlUi
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3GzUzV2oMa
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAn4B2HOclk
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6E6N0FN9C
吉莎的期望之物感覺跟殿下有所關聯，看來她真的很在乎對方！464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2EtIngAEn
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrj1JPgO4B
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8mfhdwuLc
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu3hrXKQy5g
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsSsEWicXG7
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgNETXKhVg
聽見這個回答，我不由地露出微笑。看來她就跟其他普通女孩子一樣，渴望著美滿的家庭人生。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhw4lHfqXYQ
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbojW6hFkH1
緊接著，兩只陶杯輕碰彼此的聲音重新迴盪起來，吉莎卻仍在喃喃自語著，不過我幾乎快聽不見她模糊的聲音了。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLog4w6sbI
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgeKhMsy1O
所以——464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq472laD4Cw
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQTJzOq6fI
「假如妳和奧絲雅能懷上王子殿下的孩子，也許能讓他更成熟一點。呵呵呵......」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhppPCkX2G
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXe66WvFNAh
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
